Farmers reject banana plantlets from NAADS citing lengthy harvesting period

Mbale, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Farmers in Bududa district have rejected banana plantlets delivered by the National Agricultural Advisory Services-NAADS under the Operation Wealth Creation-OWC program. Recently, the NAADS secretariat delivered over 4000 banana plantlets to the district for distribution to the farmers to boost banana productivity and increase food security in the long run.

According to the farmers, the plantlets take more than three years to grow and require a lot of attention. Sam Wamoto, a farmer said he has been planting the plantlets whenever they are brought to the district but they don’t grow well.

He explains that out of the 70 plantlets he planted in 2019, only 5 survived and yielded very small bunches.

Peter Wamboyo, another farmer, says that the government would have given them a platform to decide on what they want instead of giving them inputs, which are not helpful to them. He says that they would have given them animals to rear instead of plantlets.

Simon Wadada, the Bududa District Agricultural Officer together with Col. George Wakamuke, the NAADs coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation in Bududa district have asked farmers who don’t want the plantlets not to incite others.

Milton Kamoti Wasunguyi, the Bududa District LC V Chairperson has called for calm from the farmers and asked the Agricultural Officer to always consult the farmers on the inputs.